Hanyou
by Everything In Its Right Place
Summary: Kenshin finds out secrets about his past. Strictly canon Inuyasha crossover. Moved from Inuyasha category. Same story.
1. Peace

Okay everybody, I promise I am not abandoning "Prisoner of War." I just really liked this idea and wanted to go with it. This is an Inuyasha/Rurouni Kenshin crossover. This one will be better than my last one, which by the way I am nominated for best crossover for by the Inuyasha fan guild. This time I am doing what no author has done before. I am sticking to canon. That's right. Although I am playing around with things… lots of things, I am not changing the back-story at all. The only things I'll change are the places that there are holes. For instance, we don't really know what happened in Kenshin's childhood, or why he's so fast and strong for his size. Well, prepare to find out. No time travel, no crazy magic, just straight up Inuyasha and Kenshin.

Spoiler Warning: This takes place after the Inuyasha series (I get to make up an ending) and after Jinchuu and the last volume of the manga (except before Kenji). Everything is fair game.

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or Kenshin.

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It was a beautiful day. The sun was shining. The clouds were white and Kenshin thought they resembled tufts of cotton. He smiled up at them as he flapped one of Kaoru's kimonos in the dojo's yard. He felt good. He felt really good. It had been months since Enishi's attack and weeks since Megumi and Sanosuke left. Yahiko was staying at Sano's old apartment, so it was only he and Kaoru at the dojo though most of the time Yahiko would show up too. He missed all his old friends, but he was truly happy for the first time in his life. He felt at peace with his sins. He felt that he had finally reached atonement, that he was finally just a regular human being with a home and a family and as much of a right to live as anyone else. He hung the clean pink cloth on the line to dry and took a deep breath. Strains of a melody from the bathhouse greeted his ears.

"Kaoru-dono," he whispered to the air. His heart felt light. His head felt lighter. There was just something about the young kenjitsu instructor that made him feel good all over. He sunk back down to the wash tub and scrubbed at one of his old gis. He ran his fingers gently over the many patches in it. She had been the one to mend it for him. As good as he was at most womanly tasks, and as bad as she seemed to be at them, Kaoru could sew better than Kenshin could ever hope to. One might never notice the delicate stitches in the magenta material that closed so many sword cuts, but he did. He knew exactly where each hole had been, what it had come from, and how she looked with the needle and thread in her hand fixing it. He sighed as he pulled the gi from the water and shook it. He almost hugged it to himself except it would have wet him even more than he already was.

"Kenshin?" Her voice floated to him like bells. He turned to see her peeking out from the bathhouse. Her long wet hair stuck to her face in some places.

"Yes, Kaoru-dono?"

"Did you wash my red kimono recently?"

"Yes, Kaoru-dono."

"The one with the blue and yellow flowers?"

"It's laying on the chest in your room, that it is." She blushed lightly.

"Thank you, Kenshin."

"Your welcome, Kaoru-dono." He watched her walk toward her room. The simple white yukata clung to her curves. Her door clicked shut, and Kenshin sighed again. He hung his gi up and shook the water from his hands. He was about to dump the water from the bucket when he heard a knock at the gate. He untied the strap that held his sleeves up and slid the sakabatou that lay next to him through its place in his hakama. He used to abandon the sword to do laundry, but when it was just he and Kaoru, he felt that he could never be too safe. Nearing the gate, he sensed someone very nervous on the other side. His eyes narrowed, and his fingers inched close to his hilt as he opened the gate.

"Can I help you?" The man before him widened his amber eyes. He seemed to recognize Kenshin, though Kenshin had no idea who he was. They stood in silence for a moment.

"Can I help you?"

"Shinta?"

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A/N: So, this is just the beginning. Next chapter, the real story starts. Please review!


	2. Discovery

Okay, this should make things very interesting. I hope you guys like it. I tried so hard to stay in character.

WARNING: There are MANY cuss words from here on out. That's why the story is PG-13. It's all Inuyasha's fault. Blame him.

Disclaimer: I still don't own Inuyasha or Kenshin

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Kenshin stared at the man standing before him. Had he really said what he thought he said?

"Excuse me?"

"Is that really you, Shinta?" Kenshin narrowed his eyes at the man. He was young. He couldn't have been older than twenty. He had long silvery-white hair that reached to his waist. His bangs were fluffed in the front, and Kenshin sensed something off about them. He studied the man in the red hakama and beige gi who stood with a red haori in his hands. The tattered hilt of a sword stuck out, it's graying bindings ripped and flapping. It looked ancient. His skin was smooth, and he looked strong. He stood about six inches taller than the red headed samurai before him. Kenshin decided there was no way he could know who he was. It was just a crazy coincidence.

"I'm sorry. I think you have the wrong house, that I do." He smiled brightly at the stranger and began to close the gate. Suddenly, the white haired man's hand shot out. He held the gate open.

"I didn't get the wrong house." Kenshin looked at the fingers digging into the wood of the gate. They each ended in a sharp claw. They glinted in the sunlight. He looked back into the stranger's amber eyes.

"There is no one by the name Shinta here. Now please leave, or I will have to use force."

"How could you forget me?"

"Get out." Kenshin's words were low. His eyes were narrowed. He was frightening to behold. Any logical man would have stepped away, gotten out of his sight as quickly as he could. The man at the gate of the Kamiya dojo was quite obviously lacking in the logic department.

"I'm not going anywhere you brat. I've been looking for you for fucking ever. Now let me in before I get pissed off."

"I will give you one last chance to leave peacefully, that I will." Kenshin loosened his hold on the gate and put his hand on his sword to prove he meant business. The clawed hand pushed the gate forward and began to walk in.

"I'll leave when you listen to me." Kenshin gawked as the man pushed by him and stood in the yard. He placed his pack and red haori down.

"Now, are you going to listen to me, brat?" Kenshin's sword flew out of its sheath in a graceful arc. The stranger landed a few yards away in a cloud of dust. His amber eyes opened wide as he saw Kenshin moving slowly toward him, the sword held tightly in his right hand swaying just above the ground as he walked.

"Holy shit! When did you get so damn strong, Shinta? Shinta?"

"I will not let you interrupt the peace I worked so hard to give Kaoru-dono." The stranger scooted back a bit.

"Shinta, I don't want to take away your peace. I just came to give you the truth. You deserve the truth."

"You know nothing." He continued moving slowly forward, step by step.

"I do, damn it! How can I prove that I know you, Shinta? You have obviously forgotten me." The stranger's eyes darted around.

"I know! I know! When you get really pissed, your eyes change to amber." Kenshin took another step forward.

"Are they amber now?"

"Shit! Okay, um, let's see. Oh, okay! You are amazingly fast. You are so fast that your movements can't be followed."

"Everyone knows that," Kenshin hissed, took another step forward, and raised his sword.

"You are so damn stubborn! Okay, you grew up outside Aizu on a rice farm. There was an old tree right in the middle that was dead and leaning over, but you still couldn't reach the bottom branches. You had to climb up slashes in the trunk to swing on them. You called it Grandpa's tree." The tip of Kenshin's sword dropped to the ground.

"How did you know that?" The stranger stood and wiped the dust off of his clothes.

"How did you know that?" Kenshin demanded.

"I put the slashes in the tree, so you could climb." The stranger shrugged and continued straightening his clothes.

"That's impossible. I do not believe you, that I most certainly do not."

"Why not?" he asked as he quirked an eyebrow.

"You look no older than twenty."

"You're one to talk," he said and pointed a clawed finger at Kenshin. "You look like a fifteen year old girl wearing men's clothes and a samurai sword."

"How old are you?"

"Old."

"How long have you known of me?"

"Your whole life."

"I do not remember ever meeting you."

"It's not my fault you're a forgetful idiot."

"Why are you here?"

"To tell you the truth about who you are. I was supposed to do it when you turned ten, but you fucking disappeared. I've been looking for you for almost twenty god damn years." Kenshin staggered a bit. He looked into the stranger's eyes. He searched for a clue, a sign, an inkling, anything that could show he was lying. He found nothing.

"Who are you?"

"My name is Inuyasha." Kenshin looked carefully at the white haired man and sheathed his sword.

"Well, brat, aren't you gonna invite me to sit down?" Kenshin remained silent and followed Inuyasha as he walked up and sat on the front porch of the home. Kenshin stood ten feet in front of him, and he placed his pack and haori on the steps. Inuyasha looked at him, sniffed the air, and smirked.

"What truth is it you need to tell me and why?"

"Your father wanted you to know."

"Why didn't he tell me?"

"He couldn't you idiot." Kenshin narrowed his eyes.

"Why not? You were supposed to tell me before I turned ten. My mother and father did not die of cholera until I was seven. I remember. I was at their deathbeds. I watched them go. I heard my father's last words, that I did. Why did he not tell me then?" Inuyasha sighed.

"Why are you sighing?"

"That would certainly explain why you weren't there when I went for you."

"Why did he not tell me, Inuyasha?"

"The man you saw die was Nenji Himura, right Shinta?"

"My name is Kenshin now."

"That's a stupid name. I like Shinta. I helped pick the damn thing out and that's what I'm gonna fucking call you. You ain't changing it on me after twenty-nine years. Now, do you want to hear this or not?"

"I do."

"Shit. Okay, now, that man was six foot two and a hairy bastard. He was strong and large and had more black hair on his body than he had rice in his field. He had a gruff voice and trouble keeping weight off. He got sick easy, had scars all over him, and I bet everyone in the town talked about how strange it was that he would have such a small boy like you. I bet they thought your mother had an affair. I bet they called her a dirty whore and a slut."

"Don't you dare talk about my mother and father that way."

"Would you shut up and listen? And take your hand off your damn sword. I ain't gonna try and hurt you. I would never talk about your mom and dad like that. I cared about your mom. I loved your father like he was my own son. My point is Nenji Himura and his wife aren't your parents."

"What?" Kenshin's voice was soft, his violet eyes wide. Inuyasha reached into his bangs and pulled out two hairpins. Kenshin watched in silence as two white triangles of fur popped out from his head. They twitched a few times, then seemed to settle down.

"Ears," Inuyasha said before Kenshin could ask, "I pinned them down so you wouldn't freak out when you saw me. Fat lot of good that did." Inuyasha snorted.

"How can this be?" Kenshin's eyes were glued the furry white ears.

"I was born this way. My dad was a demon." Kenshin was floored.

"A demon?"

"Yeah, that's kinda what I came to tell you. Yours is too."

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A/N: Bet you saw that one coming. I mean the title of the story should have given it away. Well, in case you were wondering the explanations as to why Kenshin got so pissed so quickly, and how he reacts to this little tidbit stay tuned for the next chapter. Until then, push that little button!


	3. Denial

The next chapter already? I must really like this story.

WARNING: Lots of cursing.

Disclaimer: I don't own anybody.

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Kenshin stared at the white haired man sitting casually on the porch. His furry ears were twitching. His golden eyes were waiting, expectant. He seemed to be a bit nervous as he watched Kenshin's mouth hang open, his eyes narrow. He seemed to be a bit anxious.

"Well brat, aren't you gonna say anything?" Kenshin's mouth closed. His breathing sped up.

"Don't you dare." Inuyasha's brows knit together.

"Don't I dare what?"

"I am not a demon!" Inuyasha was visibly surprised.

"I never said you were. I said your dad was a demon. You are a hanyou."

"Shut up." Kenshin's voice was soft. Inuyasha swore he could hear the beginnings of a growl. He smirked.

"Shinta, you just need to accept the truth."

"You shut up! I have dealt with your lies long enough. Now get out of Kaoru-dono's home. Our conversation is over!" He took a few deep breaths. He shook his head and stared up at Inuyasha with big violet eyes.

"I'm not going anywhere, Shinta. You're my little hanyou, and I came here to help you. Now stop being so god damn stubborn and talk to me."

"My name is Kenshin. I am a human being. I am not a demon."

"Hanyou," Inuyasha interrupted, "Your mother was human."

"Or a hanyou! And I am most definitely not yours! Now get out!" Inuyasha sighed for what felt like the thousandth time. He stood and stepped fully onto the porch. He spread his arms out and stretched.

"I guess I have to prove it to you." Kenshin sank into a battoujitsu stance.

"I said get out."

"Shinta, you can hear things. You can hear better than anyone around you. You can hear the birds in that tree over there. Sometimes all the sound makes your head fucking hurt. Can you hear them, Shinta?"

"I can hear you talking and not leaving. I will ask you once more respectfully. Get out of Kaoru-dono's home." Inuyasha's eyes widened.

"You're worse than me. You know that? All right, you can tell when people are near, who they are, what they are feeling. You know without seeing them."

"I can sense ki."

"You can sense scents. It's their smell. That's how you know. There's no such thing as ki."

"I use my ki to break bamboo. I can harness my ki. Ki is what I sense, that it is."

"You are a fucking idiot. You harness your demon aura, which by the way I am very proud of. You sense scents. You smell people. There's no such thing as ki!" Kenshin's eyes turned golden, and he shook his head and forcefully tuned them back to violet.

"I have no demon aura. I am not a demon! There are no such thing as demons!" The ears on Inuyasha's head twitched.

"Yeah, okay. Well, how about this, Shinta? One night a month you lose your so-called ki sensing ability. One night the world seems dimmer, quieter, and it scares you. The color drains from your hair. You got that from your father, you know. Your speed goes away. You become weak, powerless." Kenshin's amber eyes blazed at him.

"You shut up!"

"How many humans do you know who go through that?" The clink of Kenshin's sword being freed from his sheath was loud to Inuyasha's sensitive ears and seemed to echo across the yard.

"Fuck, Shinta! Okay, you asked for this." Kenshin's eyes widened as Inuyasha moved a few feet to his right. He cautiously stepped a little closer to the white haired man.

"I didn't want to do it this way." Inuyasha was positive Kenshin was growling under his breath.

"Hanyou have instincts that save and direct their lives. They have emotions stronger than humans can even imagine. One of these is the protective instinct. It ruled my fucking life when I was young." Kenshin's growling became louder.

"Ah, so you know what I'm talking about." His long clawed fingers gripped at the door.

"You get away from there." His voice was low, angry. Inuyasha smirked.

"Why, Shinta? Why do I have to get away from this particular door?"

"Just get away!"

"No. This is the only way to get through that thick fucking skull of yours what you are. Anyway, that protective instinct spreads to family, friends, and especially…" Inuyasha flung the door open to reveal a very nervous and frightened looking Kaoru wearing the red kimono with blue and yellow flowers that she had been searching for earlier. "Mates."

"Kenshin? Who is this man? Why does he keep calling you a hanyou?"

"Because that's what he is. Half demon, half human. Just like me."

"Get away from Kaoru-dono!" Inuyasha ignored the redheaded swordsman and moved toward Kaoru. He wrapped his hand around the top of her arm and pulled her toward him. She stumbled and fell into Inuyasha's chest. He held her there with both his arms around her.

"Can you feel that emotion I was talking about?"

"Let her go!" Inuyasha looked down at the exposed skin of Kaoru's neck. He smiled.

"You haven't claimed her. You want her, but she's not claimed. That means I can claim her if I want, right Shinta?"

"You get your filthy hands off of her!"

"Now, how did you get her to smell like your mate without actually mating?" Inuyasha sniffed at Kaoru.

"It's her clothes, isn't it? You spread your scent on her clothes somehow."

"If you release her right now, I will make your death swift and almost painless." Inuyasha laughed. He gripped Kaoru tighter, and she cried out.

"How did he do it, wench? Why do you smell like him when you haven't mated?"

"Kenshin does the laundry." He squeezed, and she let out another cry.

"You're hurting Kaoru-dono. You bastard! Let her fucking go!" Kaoru's eyes widened. She hadn't heard that kind of language from Kenshin since he fought Saitou.

"Do you feel the instincts? Do you accept who you are?"

"I'll tear your fucking head off!" Kenshin began moving toward them, and Inuyasha pushed Kaoru at him. Kenshin deftly caught her, but instead of making sure of her safety and then going after Inuyasha like he intended, he wrapped his arms around her and pressed his face into her hair. His eyes got wide, and his hands began moving up and down her body, rumpling her red kimono. He felt his blood heat up. He wanted her. He wanted her then and there on the porch in front of Inuyasha. His breathing became ragged as he pressed his desire into her and gripped her impossibly closer to him. Suddenly, he stopped. He looked over Kaoru's shoulder at Inuyasha.

"What did you do to me?"

"You want her, right? You want her so badly it wouldn't be surprising if you raped her right now, right?" Kenshin's hands began travelling over her body again as he stared at Inuyasha.

"What did you do?"

"I didn't do anything. That is all you, brat. That is your instincts taking over. The woman you want as your mate is now covered in the scent of another with youkai blood. Your desire to stake your claim has outweighed your desire to rip me to shreds. You feel like she won't be safe until you fuck her, but you don't understand why." Kenshin pulled Kaoru closer, buried his hands in her hair.

"Do you know what this feels like?"

"Didn't I say that instinct ruled my fucking life, Shinta?" Kaoru looked up at him.

"Shinta? Kenshin why is he…" Kenshin ignored her and yelled at Inuyasha.

"How do I make it stop?"

"Well, since she doesn't have an enchanted necklace to slam you face first into the ground, trust me that really cools you off, you're just gonna have to let her go." Kenshin looked down at Kaoru.

"Just let her go?"

"Yup." He looked into her big blue eyes. He could smell her arousal. His fingers gently began to loosen. He took a step back, still holding on to her. Then suddenly, slammed her back into him.

"I can't!"

"Kenshin? What did you do to him?"

"I said I didn't do nothing. Now let her go, Shinta. Just close your eyes and release her. And wench, when he does, run to the bathhouse and wash as good as you can."

"I just bathed."

"Shinta doesn't fucking care. Now you smell like me, and he can't handle it. Now when he lets go, bathe and change into something he washed. You got it?" She looked up at the man holding so desperately onto her. She really didn't want him to let go. She wanted him to do exactly what the dog eared man said he would, but Kenshin looked pained. And she was not going to be the cause of it.

"Yes."

"Alright Shinta, let go."

"I can't!"

"Do it!" Kenshin's hold released, and he stood with his eyes clenched closed, his hands fisted at his sides. Kaoru stared at him for a moment.

"Move, wench!" She followed Inuyasha's command and bolted to the bathhouse. Kenshin's eyes flew open, and he moved to chase after her. Strong clawed hands stopped him. Kenshin struggled against him as he watched Kaoru enter the small wooden structure and lock the door.

"Let her go, Shinta. Just calm down." Kenshin glared at him, then dropped to his knees defeated.

"How did I get this way? How could I hurt Kaoru-dono?" Inuyasha placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"You were born this way."

"I can't stop it?"

"Nope." He looked into Inuyasha's golden eyes with teary violet ones.

"How do I deal with this?"

"That's why I'm here."

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A/N: Lots of things will come together as the story progresses. Please review!


	4. Questions

I love this story! I moved it from the Inuyasha to the Rurouni Kenshin. I thought it fit better there. Same story though.

Disclaimer: I don't own them.

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"This is the worst thing that has ever happened to me. This is much worse than anything else, that it is." Inuyasha looked at the redheaded man next to him on the porch of the Kamiya dojo. He snorted in response.

"I'm completely serious. How could I have touched Kaoru-dono in that way? She must hate me now. She probably will ask me to leave as soon as she finishes her bath. I had finally found peace too. And there will be no one to protect her if I go, that there will not. This is awful. This is all my fault." Kenshin felt a hand rest on his shoulder.

"It's not your fault." Kenshin hung his head in his hands.

"I grabbed her."

"I goaded you."

"That is no excuse. I had no right to touch Kaoru-dono that way, that I did not."

"Stop wallowing in self pity. It's annoying." Kenshin glared at him and then looked longingly at the bathhouse. She wasn't singing. He sighed heavily.

"Why did you tell me this?" Inuyasha quirked an eyebrow.

"Because it was annoying."

"Not that. Why did you hunt me down to tell me that I am…" He trailed off.

"A hanyou?" Kenshin looked down at his feet. His sandals were wearing thin. He hadn't replaced them in a year. Before Kaoru, he had spent a lot of money on sandals. He wore them out so frequently on his long meandering journey.

"Yes."

"I already told you that, Shinta. Your father asked me to." Kenshin looked into Inuyasha's amber eyes.

"But why?"

"Lots of reasons. Mostly to help you through your instincts. How did you handle it by the way?"

"Handle what?"

"Your adolescence. It had to be hard." Kenshin watched as Kaoru emerged from the wooden structure and hurried into her room. She stopped for a fleeting second to look at him. She didn't seem angry. Then the shoji clicked closed. Kenshin looked back at Inuyasha.

"I was taken care of." That was half true. The white haired man looked at the clean polished wood of the porch.

"That's not what I meant." Kenshin suddenly found himself nervous. His hands wrung in front of him.

"Then what did you mean?" Inuyasha's response was so quiet, Kenshin barely heard him.

"The bloodlust."

"I was in the war." Inuyasha's eyes widened, and he looked right at Kenshin. The samurai brushed his bangs self consciously out of his face.

"You were only fifteen."

"Fourteen."

"The Ishin Shishi, right Shinta?" Kenshin nodded.

"How did you know?"

"They won," he replied as if that explained everything. Kaoru exited her room. She took two steps forward toward Inuyasha before he raised a clawed finger and pointed toward Kenshin.

"Over there, wench."

"Do not call Kaoru-dono a wench, Inuyasha." Inuyasha snorted. Kaoru sat on the far side of Kenshin, and he released a breath that he hadn't realized he'd been holding. His hand pulled away from his hilt as well where it had rested since she had finished her bath. Kenshin stood and walked in front of Kaoru in the dirt. He fell to the ground and bowed until his head touched the sandy surface.

"This unworthy one is very sorry for what he has done Kaoru-dono. He understands that you must punish him, that he does."

"Get up, Kenshin." He looked at her from his position on the ground. He watched her cheeks grow red with anger.

"I said get up!" He stood obediently. She pointed to the space on the porch he had just vacated.

"Sit!" He sat. Inuyasha shuddered.

"Now I have some questions to ask."

"Kaoru-dono I don't think that…" She leaned over Kenshin and pointed at Inuyasha.

"And you are going to answer them." The ears on his head twitched. Kenshin was silent, inhaling the scent of Kaoru and laundry that he had washed. He relaxed inside. She was safe again.

"And if I don't want to?" Kaoru did her best imitation of Kenshin's death glare.

"I really don't care what you want." Inuyasha raised both eyebrows.

"I ain't telling you shit, wench." Kenshin glared at him.

"I said do not call Kaoru-dono a…"

"You'll tell me what I want to know!" Kaoru shouted, effectively cutting Kenshin off. Inuyasha crossed his arms over his chest.

"Why should I?" Kaoru stood angrily.

"Because you barge into my home uninvited, start calling Kenshin by a weird name, get into a fight, inform him that he is a half demon, grab onto me, make him grope me, and then make me bathe again, in cold water I might add. And you call me a wench! I think I deserve some answers!" She sat back down in a huff. Inuyasha made a growling noise in his throat. Kaoru was surprised to hear it answered with another growling sound from Kenshin. Inuyasha threw his hands up.

"Keh!"

"What does that mean?"

"Ask your damn questions, woman." Kaoru, who had been thinking up more defense for her argument, sputtered a minute. She had not expected him to back down so easily.

"Okay, first things first. Why are you calling Kenshin, Shinta?" Inuyasha rolled his eyes.

"Because that's his name." She frowned.

"His name is Kenshin."

"It's Shinta." She looked over at the redhead between them.

"Kenshin?"

"Shinta is the name my parents gave to me, that it is. My master changed it because he thought it was too soft for a swordsman. My name is Kenshin now." Inuyasha huffed at him.

"Your master's an asshole." Kenshin nodded in solemn agreement.

"But he did raise me and teach me the principles of the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu, so I must be grateful, that I must."

"Is that what you call that thing you hit me with?"

"Sort of. I call that Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu Two-step Battoujitsu."

"Isn't that a long name?"

"Yes."

"Excuse me! I'm the one asking questions here," Kaoru reminded them.

"This unworthy one is very sorry, Kaoru-dono," Kenshin said quickly. Kaoru didn't dignify him with a response.

"How do you know what Kenshin's birth name is?"

"I helped pick it out. His father came to me for advice. He wanted to name this brat Souta, although I don't see why anyone would want to name their child after him. I convinced him to name him Shinta instead. I like the name." He puffed out his chest in pride. Kaoru furrowed her brows at him.

"You're too young to have known Kenshin's father." Inuyasha snorted again.

"I've known that brat since he was six. I'm the closest thing to a father he's ever had."

"But you're too…"

"What did I say Shinta was?"

"A hanyou."

"And I am?"

"A hanyou."

"Right. So I age differently, woman. I am plenty old enough."

"Fifty?" Inuyasha snorted.

"Seventy-five?" Another snort.

"Eighty?"

"Four hundred and thirty six years old." Both Kenshin and Kaoru's mouths fell open. They stared at him wide-eyed.

"Are you serious? How?"

"What did I just say woman?"

"Well, but…"

"How can that be? Please tell me you're lying!" Kenshin shouted. Both Inuyasha and Kaoru stared at him. They were silent for a long tense moment,

"It's true, Shinta. I lived in the Sengoku Jidai." Kenshin was breathing shallowly. His hand flew to his chest.

"Are you alright Kenshin?" Kaoru's voice was laden with worry. Kenshin looked up at her. His breathing slowed and he lowered his hand.

"This unworthy one is fine Kaoru-dono, just a little surprised. Please continue with your questions." She tried to smile reassuringly. Kenshin smiled brightly back at her. She could tell it was empty. She sighed.

"I think that's enough for now. I'm a little hungry." She looked up at the sun dying in the sky. It spread red rays all over little yard. They glinted in Kenshin and Inuyasha's hair. Kenshin stood.

"This unworthy one will fix you and Inuyasha dinner then, Kaoru-dono." He moved away toward the kitchen. Kaoru looked at Inuyasha. He snorted, and she sighed.

"I'll get out of you and Shinta's hair. You don't have to feed me." Kaoru looked up at him.

"Please stay. You can't just tell him something like this and leave. You can stay in Yahiko's old room."

"Keh." Kaoru smiled lightly.

"Thank you." Inuyasha rose and grabbed his pack and haori. He sniffed at the air, then turned to move toward the room with the weakest scent of Kenshin and Kaoru.

"We'll talk more tomorrow, wench."

"Inuyasha?" He looked back at her.

"What?"

"You didn't just come to give Kenshin information, did you? There's more that you want, isn't there?" Inuyasha stared into her eyes with his bright golden ones for a moment before turning and continuing down the hall without a word.

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A/N: Action is coming soon. Just you wait! Please review!


	5. Reasons

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So... Hi there! I know it's been, well, exactly one year since my last update to this story. But here it is! You can thank kokoronagomu for inspiring me to get back on top of it.

Disclaimer: I own two cats, but no anime characters...

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Dinner had gone by nearly in silence. Kaoru had thanked Kenshin for preparing her meal, and he had nodded his head to her. The look on his face had made her uneasy. Not even an empty smile. Kenshin was clearly devastated. Inuyasha had not joined them, despite Kaoru practically insisting at his door.

"Not now, wench. I'm not hungry. Leave me alone. Just eat with Shinta."

Her heart was heavy as she ate the absent-mindedly prepared rice and vegetables. It almost tasted as bad as her cooking. Almost. Kenshin had poked at his, but she was unsure if he actually took even one bite. Could she really blame him? She tried to search his eyes for what he could possibly be thinking, but he resolutely kept his head down, his bangs shadowing his face the whole time. When he stood and reached to clear her plate, for she too had been picking for about fifteen minutes, she laid her hand on his arm.

"Kenshin?" Her voice was soft and full of worry. He stayed behind his curtain of hair and gently pulled his arm and the dish away.

"You should get some sleep Kaoru-dono, that you should." And he left her there at the table. She wanted to cry, but wasn't sure why. Was she sorry for him? After all, he had worked so hard to prove to himself that he wasn't a demon, though thousands had called him one, only to be proven wrong in every sense of the word. He wasn't like a demon. He actually was one. Was she angry at Inuyasha for coming into their home where he had finally achieved peace, only to shatter it once again? Or maybe she was angry at Kenshin himself. Did he think himself unworthy of her? Of her home? Of her love? Did he think she would toss him out for what he was after letting him stay so long knowing he was the Hitokiri Battousai? Maybe it wasn't any of that. Or maybe all of it. She couldn't cry for those reasons. Then something hit her, and her chest was so heavy that she had to lay a hand upon it. What if he left again? What if whatever it was that Inuyasha wanted took him away from her? What if it was for good? But she couldn't cry for that either. That particular fear had been all cried out. No. She would do something about it. If he were to leave...

"Then I'll go to!" She pounded her fist on the table to prove to herself that she was serious. But first things first. She had to figure out what exactly it was Inuyasha wanted.

Inuyasha had heard the thud from their dining room, and the hurried footsteps moving toward the room they had given him. He was not surprised when he saw Kaoru march right up to the door and bang on it.

"Inuyasha! Wake up! I need to talk to you." Her hands were on her hips, and her right foot was tapping impatiently. He snorted. She looked a lot like Kagome did when she was mad at him. All business.

"Oi, wench," he called. She whirred around in surprise to find him lounging in a branch of the tree just behind her, eyes closed.

"Well? What do you want?"

"To talk to you."

"Yeah, I kinda figured, what with whole, 'Inuyasha! Wake up! I need to talk to you.' thing." He had imitated her voice, and she thought it sounded a bit like a whiny Misao. She did her best not to become too angry.

"Will you come down here?" He opened one amber eye at her.

"Please," she tried. He swung his feet lithely over the bough and landed just in front of her. She stepped back a bit and then turned and sat on the porch, hoping he hadn't noticed. He had, but a small smirk was all he showed of it. He sat cross-legged next to her.

"Tell me the truth."

"About what, woman?"

"About everything."

Kenshin woke before dawn. He was tired. His mind had covered lots of ground that evening, though it really hadn't gotten him much of anywhere. He had decided that Inuyasha and the incidents of the previous day were real and not hallucinations, which was a big step in itself. Also that the white haired man had to be telling the truth, and he was, in fact, half demon. A hanyou. That was an even bigger step. He dressed quickly and tried not to let it scare him too much. At least Inuyasha was there. He was a hanyou too. He could help him come to terms with himself. And then Inuyasha would leave, and God willing Kaoru wouldn't want him gone, and they could go back to the way things were. He would be happy again. As long as she was around and they had their quiet lives in the dojo, things would be just fine. He stepped confidently out the door after sliding his sakabatou in place on his hip. Today he would figure everything out and then go back to normal. After all, if he had always been a hanyou, knowing about it shouldn't change too much. He quickly turned the corner of the building and was surprised to find Inuyasha and Kaoru sitting on the porch with a small lantern and a pot of tea between them. From the looks of the low candle and the tiredness on Kaoru's face they had been there all night.

"Kaoru-dono?" he said cautiously. Her face brightened when she realized he was there.

"Kenshin! Come sit with us. Inuyasha and I were just talking." He walked over and sat between them, behind the candle and teapot.

"I've been hearing a lot about you, Shinta."

"Is that so?" Inuyasha grinned and slapped him on the back, causing the slight man to lurch forward a bit.

"Your father will be proud of ya, brat." He looked up at the white haired man's beaming face.

"He will be? Wait. He's alive?" Kaoru reached out and grabbed his hand.

"He is, Kenshin. And we have been waiting for you to wake up. We have to go. We have to help him!"

"Calm down, wench. You're a human. You have to sleep before we can go. If we left now, you'd probably just pass out before got through the fucking town."

"Inuyasha, do not call Kaoru-dono wench. And where are we going? My father needs my help?"

"We're going into the mountains to the south of here, to save your father. He's been held captive for 27 years. He told me to take care of you, and then to come for him. And then you got yourself fucking lost, and I had to track you down..." He tapered off scratching the back of his head.

"27 years? Are you sure he is still alive?" Inuyasha gave a firm nod.

"Fucking positive."

"Well this is quite... unexpected, that it is."

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A/N: Send me a quick review so I stay inspired... 


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